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All Down the Line: Week 1

It’s finally here — the first week of real baseball for the year, which means the first scoring period of fantasy baseball for the year. You know how important it is to set the tone for the season, and this week features a lot of firepower when it comes to pitching, with most aces going early (and getting two-start weeks), but it also showcases a lot of familiar faces in unfamiliar places. Yes, it felt weird on draft day choosing LA Dodger Jimmy Rollins as my shortstop.

As usual the DL has already claimed some big names, so you may not have a choice of who to start, but for most fantasy owners the key is just figuring out who will get a hot start to the season in order to start you off right. My job is to help you decide how to set that lineup, and this season I’m going to be introducing a new weekly article designed to make your job easier. It’s All Down the Line.

In each segment I will let you know three players at each position who should have a good statistical week. I’m not here to tell you to start Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout because you’re starting them regardless every single week. Instead I’m going to tell you why Ubaldo Jimenez and Curtis Granderson are good starts this week. This is for those tough decisions you have to make on a weekly basis, so strap in and let’s go down the line(up)…

CATCHER

Mike Zunino [SEA]facing LAA, @OAK

Yasmani Grandal [LAD]facing SD, @ARI

Russell Martin [TOR]@NYY, @BAL

1ST BASEMEN

Matt Adams [STL]@CHC, @CIN

Mark Trumbo [ARI] facing SF, facing LAD

Lucas Duda [NYM]@WAS, @ATL

2ND BASEMEN

Neil Walker [PIT]@CIN, @MIL

Chase Utley [PHI]facing BOS, facing WAS

Brandon Phillips [CIN] facing PIT, facing STL

3RD BASEMEN

Kyle Seager [SEA]facing LAA, @OAK

Trevor Plouffe [MIN]@DET, @CHW

Pedro Alvarez [PIT]@CIN, @MIL

SHORTSTOP

Jed Lowrie [HOU] facing CLE, @TEX

Asdrubal Cabrera [TB] facing BAL, @MIA

Andrelton Simmons [ATL] @MIA, facing NYM

OUTFIELD

Kole Calhoun [LAA]@SEA, facing KC

A.J. Pollock [ARI]facing SF, facing LAD

Curtis Granderson [NYM]@WAS, @ATL

PITCHER

Ubaldo Jimenez [BAL]4/11 facing TOR (Aaron Sanchez)

Kyle Kendrick [COL]4/6 @MIL (Kyle Lohse), 4/11 CHC (Kyle Hendricks)

Yovani Gallardo [TEX]4/6 @OAK (Sonny Gray) 4/11 facing HOU (TBA)

Remember, these are recommendations based on past history and on potential in these upcoming matchups, but they’re not suggestions for you to take out your starting options and replace them with these players. If you have statistically great role players or pitchers then use them, but choices tend to thin out the further down the draft rounds you go, so you might have holes to fill. As always, send me any questions or lineup choice issues you have, and I’ll get to them before the next week.